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ral standard is from twenty- two to twenty -three and 

 a half carats. In the southern provinces, between 

 the river Bio- bio and the Archipelago of Chiloe, se- 

 veral very rich mines of gold were formerly disco- 

 vered which yielded immense sums ; but since the 

 expulsion of the Spaniards from those provinces by 

 the Araucanians, these mines have been in the pos- 

 session of that warlike people, who have prohibited 

 the opening them anew by any one under pain of 

 death. 



The most important mines that are at present 

 wrought are those of Copiapo, Guase, Coquimbo, 

 Petorca, Ligua, Tiltil, Putaendo, Caen, Alhue, 

 Chibato, and Huilli-patagua. All these, excepting 

 the three last, which are of recent discovery, have 

 been wrought ever since the conquest, and have con- 

 stantly yielded a great product. But this is by no 

 means the case with all the mines that are discovered : 

 in many the miners are allured at first with appear- 

 ances of great riches, but soon find the ore entirely 

 fail, or in so small quantities as not to repay them for 

 their labour. The metallurgists of Chili call this 

 kind of wandering mine bolsón ; the same name 

 is also applied to the ramifications, which in general 

 are circular, and to the richest veins where the ore 

 is found lodged in heaps and cavities. Another ob- 

 struction to working the mines are the inundations to 

 which they are subject from subterraneous springs. 

 These are frequent, and when they occur compel the 

 miners to abandon the mine, who seldom attempt to 

 free it by drawing off or diverting the water. Some 



